What started as one of the more exciting storylines of the Mariners’ 2025 season now seems to be winding to a quiet conclusion. Rookie second baseman Cole Young, another symbol of Seattle’s youth movement and a beacon of upside at the keystone, appears to have lost his grip on the job. And the Mariners have made their most definitive move yet to signal that shift.
Young’s debut came with the usual rookie growing pains, a few defensive missteps here, some inconsistencies in production at the plate, but none of it felt disqualifying. Fans embraced the process because the potential was obvious.